karen weekly – Syndication Server

Texas transfer Ryan Brown signs with Tennessee

Tennessee announces the signing of Texas transfer Ryan Brown.

Tennessee softball announced the signing of transfer infielder Ryan Brown on Thursday.

“I’m excited to welcome Ryan home to Tennessee,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “She has a unique combination of power and speed that will remind our fans of recent Lady Vol greats. She comes from a family of outstanding athletes and knows what it takes to be successful at the top level of collegiate softball.”

Brown appeared in 11 games as a freshman at Texas in 2024. She recorded a .182 batting average, one home run, two RBIs, one run and two walks in 11 at-bats.

Brown went to Texas from Independence High School in Thompson’s Station, Tennessee.

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Texas Tech head coach to serve as Lady Vols’ assistant

Lady Vols hire Texas Tech head coach Craig Snider.

Tennessee announced on Sunday the hiring of assistant coach Craig Snider. Snider served as Texas Tech’s softball head coach from 2023-24, compiling a 60-43 record.

“This position generated a lot of interest, and we could not have found a better fit,” Lady Vols’ head coach Karen Weekly said. “Craig is widely known as one of the best hitting coaches and offensive minds in the game of softball.

“His track record for developing versatile and dynamic offenses speaks for itself. He is a teacher who loves helping players reach their potential, and his players love working with him. Building strong relationships is key in both recruiting and player development, and Craig has proven to be exceptional in that regard.”

Snider will serve as the Lady Vols’ hitting coach.

Karen Weekly named SEC Coach of the Year

Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly named SEC Coach of the Year for a second consecutive season.

Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year by the league’s softball head coaches.

Weekly guided the Lady Vols (40-10, 19-5 SEC) to a second consecutive regular-season conference title in 2024. She earned SEC Coach of the Year honors for a second consecutive season and for the fourth time during her tenure at Tennessee.

The Lady Vols were eliminated by LSU in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals Thursday.

Tennessee, ranked No. 2 nationally, will learn its NCAA Tournament opponent and destination on Sunday.

Lady Vols’ sophomore Karlyn Pickens was named SEC Pitcher of the Year. She joins Monica Abbott as the only Tennessee player to earn the award.

Tennessee players were also recognized as First-Team All-SEC standouts including Pickens, Payton Gottshall, McKenna Gibson, Taylor Pannell and Rylie West.

Kiki Milloy, Sophia Nugent and Zaida Puni all received Second-Team All-SEC honors for the Lady Vols.

Karen Weekly previews Tennessee-LSU softball series

Lady Vols’ head coach Karen Weekly previews the Tennessee-LSU softball series.

No. 4 Tennessee (32-7, 12-3 SEC) will host No. 7 LSU (34-8, 10-8 SEC), Friday-Sunday, at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium. Rankings reflect the USA TODAY/NFCA Division I Coaches Poll.

Tennessee leads the all time series against the Tigers, 38-29-1.

First pitch between the Lady Vols and Tigers on Friday is slated for 6 p.m. EDT and will be televised by SEC Network.

Game No. 2 on Saturday is scheduled for noon EDT, while Sunday’s series finale will take place at 2 p.m. EDT. Both contests will be televised by ESPN2.

Ahead of the Tennessee-LSU series, Lady Vols’ head coach Karen Weekly met with media. Weekly’s series preview can be watched below.

Laura Mealer brings ‘middle infield depth, explosive offensive threat’ to Lady Vols

Karen Weekly discusses Laura Mealer joining Tennessee softball.

Laura Mealer transferred to the Lady Vols from Middle Tennessee State on June 16.

Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly discussed Mealer joining the Lady Vols on Thursday.

“Laura brings us middle infield depth and an explosive offensive threat,” Weekly said in a press release. “She has a rare combination of power and speed and has put up impressive home run and stolen base numbers during her time at Middle Tennessee. Her competitive spirit will fit in well with our team culture. We are excited to have another homegrown talent join the Lady Vols.”

Mealer played second base and shortstop for the Blue Raiders from 2022-23. She started 125 games and made the 2022 Conference USA All-Freshman team.

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Oklahoma transfer Sophia Nugent signs with Lady Vols

Oklahoma transfer Sophia Nugent signs with the Lady Vols.

Oklahoma transfer catcher and utility player Sophia Nugent signed with the Lady Vols on Wednesday.

Nugent will have two years of eligibility remaining.

“We recruited Sophia when she was in high school and knew then what a great fit she was for our program,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said in a press release. “Her character, work ethic and team-first attitude are the attributes we look for in the process. I couldn’t be more thrilled for the opportunity to coach her and watch her finish her college career in the orange and white.”

Nugent appeared in 73 games, including 19 starts, from 2022-23 at Oklahoma.

She recorded a .278 batting average, while totaling 22 runs, seven doubles, eight home runs and 28 RBIs.

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Karen Weekly recaps Lady Vols’ series-opening win versus Texas

Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly recaps the Lady Vols’ series-opening win versus Texas.

No. 4 national seed Tennessee (48-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 13 Texas (45-14-1, 11-7 Big 12), 5-2, in game No. 1 of the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium.

Tennessee leads the best-of-three series, 1-0. The winner between the Lady Vols and Longhorns will advance to the College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“Really happy to get a win,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said. “That was a tough, tough game just like we expected it was going to be. Tomorrow’s going to be even tougher. We need to come out and be prepared for that, and I have every confidence that we will.

“I’m just really proud of our team for battling. That was a game with a lot of momentum swings, and they made surges. Just two really, really good teams out there.”

Game No. 2 is slated for Saturday at 3 p.m. EDT and ABC will televise the contest.

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Karen Weekly recaps Lady Vols winning NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional

Tennessee softball head coach Karen Weekly recaps the Lady Vols winning the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional.

No. 4 national seed Tennessee (47-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated Indiana (44-18, 18-5 Big Ten), 7-3, Sunday at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium, advancing to a NCAA Tournament Super Regional.

Tennessee will next host Texas at Sherri Parker Lee Stadium in a best-of-three series. The winner of the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Super Regional will advance to the Women’s College World Series in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

“Super proud of our team,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said after defeating Indiana. “I just told them, ‘don’t ever take this for granted’ even when you’re up 7-0 and you feel like you got the game in hand. It’s hard to win a regional, and we see the upsets all over the country and the close games, and they just came out and they earned it. We talked about how it’s going to be a hard day and we got to earn it, and they did it, these ladies next to me and the other 22 on the team.”

Weekly also discussed Tennessee going undefeated in the NCAA Tournament Knoxville Regional.

“I am so proud,” Weekly said. “It’s hard to come out and be at your best every day and not get complacent when we had the two-run rule wins. As a coach, that’s what you’re concerned about, is that we’re going to think ‘okay, we can show up or we should win.’ They didn’t do that today, and that’s because we have great leadership within our team. We are a player-led team. I can just watch the huddle, and I know what’s being said and I know the right people are getting everybody on the right page, and I can’t tell you how gratifying that is as a coach.”

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Tennessee extends Karen Weekly’s contract

Tennessee extends Lady Vols’ softball head coach Karen Weekly’s contract.

The University of Tennessee announced a contract extension for Lady Vols’ softball head coach Karen Weekly on Thursday.

UT Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Danny White announced Tennessee athletics and Weekly have agreed in principle to a five-year contract extension through June 30, 2028.

“It’s a privilege to be the softball coach at Tennessee and to work for Danny White,” Weekly said in a press release. “I appreciate his faith and trust in me to lead Lady Vol softball into the future. The support we receive from the athletics administration is phenomenal. Chancellor Donde Plowman is an incredible leader for our campus and I’m grateful for her mentorship. I am blessed to coach a terrific group of young women and work alongside amazing assistants and staff who share our vision for success.”

Tennessee and Weekly won the 2023 Southeastern Conference regular-season tournament championships.

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Karen Weekly, Kiki Milloy, Payton Gottshall discuss winning SEC title

Karen Weekly, Kiki Milloy and Payton Gottshall discuss winning the 2023 SEC Tournament championship.

No. 1 seed Tennessee (44-8, 19-5 SEC) defeated No. 10 South Carolina, 3-1, in the SEC Tournament championship game Saturday at Bogle Park in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

Tennessee won the Southeastern Conference regular-season and tournament championships in the same season for the first time in school history.

The Lady Vols are the 13th SEC regular-season champion to win the conference tournament in the same year.

Following Tennessee’s win versus South Carolina on Saturday, Lady Vols’ SEC Coach of the Year Karen Weekly, SEC Tournament MVP Kiki Milloy and All-Tournament Team pitcher Payton Gottshall met with media and can be watched below.

Lair Beautae and Ashley Rogers were also named to the SEC All-Tournament Team for Tennessee.

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